So, it's time to get started. This first part sounds harder then it is...trust me. There came a point when I was so discouraged and my self esteem just took a hit. A really hard hit. I was sick, overweight, fearful for losing my job, and so many other things. It was like someone had just pulled the rug out from under my feet. Everything I had worked so hard for over 20 years seemed to be circling the drain...and fast. Even though I had been praying all along, I felt like I needed to continue to do so. I prayed for a clear answer. My answer came, one day, while I was reading the brochure to a medication. Go figure. Leave it to the nurse in me to figure it out. You see, I read extensively on medications that I am prescribed before I take them. That is just it. I was reading it as a patient, not a nurse. They say nurses make the worst patients. That is because we don't see taking care of ourselves as nursing. We see everyone else that way, but not ourselves. I started thinking of all the things I was supposed to be doing to take care of myself thru a whole new light. I realized that I didn't have a list of my current meds in my purse (just in case). I realized, while I was somewhat cautious of what I was eating, I didn't understand how my body was metabolizing it with all the health issues I had. I was researching and reading, but I wasn't rationalizing any of it. I know it sounds silly. But I was, in some ways, the nurse that I so hard tried not to be. Only I was doing it to myself. I wasn't true to myself and I was not being honest with myself. One of a nurses biggest pet peeves is when our patients leaves information out or lies to us. It can result in mistreatment or worse. So, I do what I always do. I sit in front of the computer with pen and paper to start formulating a plan.
I stood in front of the mirror and took measurements of everything from head to toe. As I measured, I recorded everything in a small notebook. I took my weight and recorded it in there also. Then I started thinking about what I wanted to acheive. For me, it wasn't just about losing weight, but about living a healthier lifestyle and maintaining it. I knew that this would be the best way for me to control my exacerbations. I was realistic with myself and honest. I even wrote down the foods that I couldn't resist. I knew that I couldn't use commercial weight loss products (due to medications, disease process, etc.). I, also, knew that I had to allow for cheat moments (not days) and that I had to know my body and the disease processes completely. By that I mean how it responded to foods, exercise, stress, and medications. As I sit and started doing my research I realized that the reason I had been so skinny before was because people with adrenal insufficiency don't metabolize carbohydrates and fats well. So my body didn't have the same amount of fuel a healthy person did. Which resulted in burning muscle, fatigue, and so much more. So I knew that these two things had to be eliminated or decreased. My body was wearing itself out trying to break it down. A light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I had continued to eat all these things, even after I started taking the steroid (cortisol...you know the fat hormone that you hear about on TV). I couldn't stop taking the steroid. I needed it to live...hello! Regardless of the bad things you hear, your body does need a certain amount of it to maintain life. Without it you can not regulate your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing...well just about everything. My body didn't make any so I have to give it to myself everyday. Think diabetes, with a twist. Only you can't check your levels everyday and it is rare it is harder to find information. The steroids also make it harder for me to lose weight. Especially, if I have to take extra. The arthritis makes it harder to exercise because of the pain. Which I do anytime my system is stressed. So there was my answer for the weight gain. My body was storing the carbs and fats that it once couldn't. It, also, couldn't burn it because it would flare my arthritis and asthma, which led to stress, which led to more steroids. A nonstop cycle.
My plan had just formulated itself. I had to cut out carbs and fats as much as possible. I had to settle for small goals, pace myself, and keep my expectations low. It also showed that I had to write down everything I ate, how my body reacted to it, and what I was taking for meds everyday. This meant what time, how much, and every reaction my body had. Last but not least, it meant that no matter how afraid I was of pain or flaring my arthritis/asthma, I had to find a way to move. So, I started by slipping in ten lunges here or there. If I was doing my hair in the bathroom, I would do them. If I was watching TV, I would do ten of something else easy. Gradually, I would add to the ten. If I had five minutes, I would go pull weeds in the gardens (gardening is excellent exercise). Anything to get moving. That is where I would start, and with the understanding that I would have to tweet and modify things as I went. Most of all, I had to get it out of my head that a weak moment does not equal failure. That I could slip up, but I had to get right back on the wagon. Not the next week, but the next minute. So, there it is. I know it sounds complicated and like it wouldn't work for everyone, but I promise, it will.
So, the part I know you are all looking forward to...the homework. That's right, I said "homework". Your homework is to write down your weight, your measurements, any and all medical conditions (believe it or not the meds and conditions do effect how your body handles what you do and what you eat), start a wellness journal that you keep with you always. It doesn't have to be anything huge. Just something to write down everything you eat/drink, medications you take, how you feel and sleep, and your measurements. Include times, things like naps, exercise, your mental state (fuziness, alert, tired, etc.). I want you to look at diets pertaining to your particular health issues and what you are supposed to be doing to treat it. You want to know everything you can about your body. You will also learn so much more. Patterns and habits will come to light. If you smoke, you will see when your hardest times are. I know it seems awful time consuming. Explore the My Fitness Pal app, or others like it, to help make it easier. You should not look at this as time consuming, but as taking care of yourself. Knowledge is power. The more knowledge you gain, the more confident you will be. This leads to success! The next post, I plan to cover vitamins, supplements, diet, etc...! Thanks for sticking with me. I know this all seems basic, maybe even undoable to some. But we have to start with the basics in order to form better habits. No matter what fitness level you are at. Set your goals realistically. Based on what you are doing now, your lifestyle, and ability. Be honest. Dont say you are doing 100 cruches if you have not done them in years, or that you are cutting out all pop if that us what you drink all day everyday. You are only setting yourself up for failure. Much love and many blesings!
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